Russia recommends sending women who don’t want to be mothers to psychologists

Russian women who do not want to be mothers should be referred to psychologists, recommends Russian government Olga Maltsevva/AFP Russia wants women who do not want to have children to be referred to psychologists to try to convince them to change their minds, according to a new guideline aimed at combating the country’s demographic crisis. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The measure was approved at the end of February, but was only announced this week by the local press. The Russian Ministry of Health now recommends that doctors refer women who do not wish to have children “for a consultation with a psychologist, with the aim of fostering a positive attitude towards motherhood”, according to a document seen by AFP on Thursday (18). According to the text, doctors must invite women between the ages of 18 and 49 for annual medical examinations to “evaluate their reproductive health”. The recommendations also include similar examinations for men of the same age, but exclusively to assess their physical health, without involving psychologists. The sharp drop in Russia’s birth rate has been one of President Vladimir Putin’s main concerns since coming to power 25 years ago. SANDRA COHEN: Putin’s other war: convincing Russian mothers to have more than 10 children Why Putin wants to encourage pregnancy among young people, including teenagers Birth rate drops by half in some of the richest countries For the Kremlin, the shrinking of the Russian population is presented as a matter of national survival. By 2024, the government had already warned that Russia would face “extinction” if its birth rate did not increase. The country’s birth rate is the lowest in the last 200 years, at around 1.4 children per woman, well below the 2.1 limit that demographers consider necessary to stabilize the population. In recent years, the country has also tightened abortion laws and large families, in addition to being glorified in the media, benefit from a series of economic and social advantages granted by the State. In October 2024, Russia’s Parliament passed a bill banning any type of advertising aimed at childless adults.

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